It’s time for the 2nd Annual Beaumont Mural Festival!  The Mural Festival, or simply MuralFest, brought us more than 14 new murals and art installations around the city last year, and its return is promising to be even bigger and better.  There are 45 artists participating this year, including 18 local artists, bringing new murals, pop-up art installations, an artists meet and greet, a block party at the Jefferson Theatre/Art Museum of Southeast Texas featuring a vendor market, artists showcase, kids zone, food trucks, and more!  It’s going to be an exciting weekend in Beaumont! 

There was some controversy last year surrounding the festival, and it led to this event being seen in a somewhat negative light.  It also led to a whole host of rumors and misconceptions surrounding the Beaumont Mural Festival in general.  Our family had a great time volunteering at MuralFest last year, and the front row seat gave me an inside look at the goings-on around the festival.  409 Family is excited to participate in the kids zone area this year, and I wanted to take a moment to address some of the things I’ve heard as we’ve prepped for this year’s event: 

MYTH: It’s expensive.
FACT: Everything is FREE this year!  FREE kids zone, FREE block party at the Jefferson Theatre, FREE live music.  No admission fees.  No cost to enjoy the festivities.  Free, free, FREE.  Did I mention free?

MYTH: There are no local artists featured, and no support for local artists. 
FACT:  The festival was organized by entrepreneur Min Dai (owner of Tokyo, Ko, and Pour09) and artist J Muzacz (you can see his work throughout Pour09).  Muzacz chose all of the artists and this year they’ve brought in the help of Sue Bard, Executive Director of the Southeast Texas Arts Council and the Downtown Beaumont Cultural Arts District (DBCAD) when it comes to local artist selection.  

Setting up these festivals takes time.  After several conversations with the organizers themselves, it’s my belief that the whole purpose of this festival is to INCREASE exposure for local artists.  More well-known muralists and artists were brought in as headliners last year, but the type of people and visitors who will travel to Beaumont just for the murals will likely also spend some time exploring and perusing the local art scene.  They’ll visit museums and studios, and see what else our area art scene has to offer.  Zooming out a little bit to look at the bigger picture brings things a little bit more in focus for me, and hopefully for you also.  

Speaking of Kimberly Brown, event staff have organized a special tribute to this renowned local legend who passed away last August.  Those wishing to pay their respects and remember this incredible artist will gather on Saturday, March 4 at 5:30 PM at her famed Frida mural located at 660 Fannin Street, Downtown Beaumont.  

MYTH: Mural locations are decided by the city of Beaumont, or the event organizers.
FACT:  With the help of Visit Beaumont, Tx for marketing, event organizers (Dai & Muzacz) put out an open call for mural space, and building and business owners who wanted artwork on their buildings responded.  This also caused controversy last year, as it resulted in previous incomplete artwork to be painted over.  (It’s worth noting that this artist is a featured local artist in this year’s Mural Festival). One of my favorite murals was -ahem- retired years ago.  Kimberly Brown’s Geometric Beaumont was painted over shortly before 1701 Barbecue opened in that space.  To me, the fleeting nature of street art and murals is part of their beauty.  It’s not like creating art on a canvas that can be preserved and passed down.  Street art and murals are ephemeral by nature, subject to the whims of property ownership.  Check out our 7 Mural Scavenger Hunts by Region in order to soak up all our local mural scene has to offer before its gone! 

Whatever questions or concerns you have regarding Beaumont Mural Festival, I’d encourage you to keep an open mind and make sure you make it a priority to stop by the festival this weekend. There’s lots going on, and there’s something to be said for watching the place you’ve chosen to call home in an active glow-up. It’s inspiring, encouraging, and a beautiful sight to see.

Did this clear some things up for you regarding Beaumont Mural Festival? What questions do you still have?